Destiny is all for Russell as she follows up Aintree success with Ayr double
Lucinda Russell, fresh from the success of Ahoy Senor at Aintree last Friday, saddled a double at Ayr Racecourse yesterday.
Destiny Is All stepped up in trip to 3m 3f to land the Every Race Live On Racing TV Handicap Chase wearing down Straight Swap to win by a length and a quarter at odds of 8-11 favourite.
And Douglas Talking completed the double in the Racing TV Profits Returned To Racing Limited Handicap Chase finishing alone after his sole opponent Geromino fell at the last when already looking held, Derek Fox rode both winners for Lucinda.
Another jockey to notch a double was Sean Quinlan who set the ball rolling on Hidden Commander, 2-5 favourite, who held on by half a length to win the 2m 5f handicap chase for trainer Stuart Coltherd. He then partnered On We Go, 3-1 fav, who shot clear after the last obstacle to come home five and a half lengths in front of Pammi in the Visit racingtv. com Mares’ Handicap Hurdle.
Brian Hughes attempting to become only the fourth jumps jockey in history to ride 200 winners rode his 194th winner of the season on Ailie Rose, 8-11 fav, in the opening novices’ hurdle for Irish trainer Stuart Crawford. The six year-old mare made all the running and quickened on the run in to win by six and a half lengths from Hasty Brook.
The best finish of the afternoon came in the three mile handicap hurdle when Shoeshine Boy, 7-2, trained by Donald
Whillans and ridden by Craig Nichol, got up in a driving finish to win by a nose from Release The Kraken.
At Newmarket today, Native Trail is impossible to oppose in the bet365 Craven Stakes. The Oasis Dream colt enjoyed a faultless juvenile campaign, winning each of his four starts in the Godolphin blue for Charlie Appleby. A successful summer debut at Sandown promised plenty and he went on to land the Superlative Stakes, the National Stakes and the Dewhurst before the end of 2021.
Native Trail has plenty in hand on official ratings and it will be a huge surprise if he does cement his place as antepost favourite for the 2000 Guineas with another victory.
It will be interesting to see how Bellosa fares as she is dropped back in trip by Jane Chapple-hyam for the Connaught Access Flooring Abernant Stakes.
The four-year-old blitzed her rivals in the opening fillies’ maiden on this card 12 months ago and proved that was no fluke when beating the boys to Listed honours here a month later.
She floundered in the mud in the Jersey Stakes at Royal Ascot and was not seen in competitive action again until finishing second to the useful Edraak at Kempton in December.
The best bet on the card is Pocket The Profit, who bids for a swift double in the bet365 Handicap. While his first three efforts in novice company last season were decidedly ordinary, a gelding operation and a switch to handicaps certainly did the trick, with four successive wins in October seeing his rating climb over 20lb.